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Why do some people think that saying “Nu!” in middle of davening or bentching, when it is prohibited to talk, is any different than outright speaking and saying “stop talking” or “pass the sefer” or whatever it is that they are attempting to communicate?
I would argue (note, it’s just an argument, not a p’sak; if you believe I’m wrong, I’ll certainly entertain arguments) that if someone is disturbing you to the point where you can’t continue davening, you can verbally ask them to stop — it’s no more a hefsek than asking for a knife is after you’ve washed.
The Wolf
Wolf, im not contradicting you- but then why not just ask for the person to stop talking? Why would he need the “nu”?
Why would he need the “nu”?
I don’t know. I would guess that some people consider “nu” to not be talking at all. I’ve seen people use it in situations where it was not justified at all.
The Wolf
right, like saying ”nu, shhh”
speaking is speaking no matter the word or sound
It’s Mivu’ar in Mishna Brura that any verbal comunication constitutes a hefsek aside from what wolf was saying above such as asking for the knife or salt etc.
After making al netilas yodayim but before making hamotzi you can say to someone “Where is the knife”?
Yes
If it’s something that is required for the action, it’s not considered a hefsek.
wolf- There is a big difference between talking during davening and talking after washing. There is no issur of being mafsik between washing and eating, all we are concerned about is hesach haddas. Asking someone to bring a knife is directly related to the eating of the bread and therefore has no issue of hesach haddas. Davening, on the other hand, has an issue to be maskfik. I am not saying you are wrong that you can’t ask someone to stop, I am just saying that your analogy is flawed. A better analogy would be from the gemara that says one can say pass the salt even after making hamotzi ( I don’t know if the shulchan aruch brings this down lihalacha) or the fact that one could ask a shallah regarding their shemoneh esrei (e.g. forgetting yalleh viyavo) in middle of shemone esrei. My gut feeling would say that you are right lihalacha but I definitely would not do it without asking a shallah.
Interesting, M80. I’ve always been making a kinfe-cutting hand-motion to my wife when I couldn’t find the knife. (Sometimes adding in a “nu” when the length of the pause seemed like a big hefsek.)
You don’t say Nu, it is a noise just like a click with the tongue or snap of the finger. I know it’s a lot of fun to show how the whole world got it wrong, but usually, when something is common practice, the focus of our Chachamim was to realize its merit. Continue Nuing.
Haleivi: If someone asks you in middle of the tefilla (when you can’t speak out) whether your glasses are old or new, can you say “new”? How is that different than saying the same “new” (nu) to signify something?
The Talmud is Berochos says you are not allowed to talk during davening.
This includes the words Nu that is a Hebrew word.
Michael, What difference does it make if it is a Hebrew word or a word in another language? (Or even if it were a made-up word, for that matter.)
You are correct that there’s a difference between talking in davening and talking after washing. However, talking after washing according to S”A for even random things is completely fine as long as you don’t forget about the bread (he says ‘Tov’ lehachmir). But according to the Rama, any talking or even not saying hamotzi within a time frame of walking 11 amos, will be considered not lecatchila. A suggested option to be machmir is to not dry your hands until you get to the table, as the netila goes after the drying, and therefore you can walk more than 11 amos that way.
MichaelC “This includes the words Nu that is a Hebrew word”
actually, it is not Hebrew. However, it is in the Russian dictionary and presumably entered our vernacular through Yiddish. Correct me if I’m wrong, but Sefardim rarely use it
But chassidem hold that for some reason one may repeat the word “knee” and it’s not a hefsik.
hello99
“Yalla! Nu!!!”
There is no Hebrew word Nu. Those that pronounce the Kamatz as Koomitz, say Nee.
I believe that “nu”ing is (in some cases) considered less of a hefsek than speaking is. That’s why we are noheg to say “nu” instead “please get the knife/salt/etc”.
Abe Cohen:
“If someone asks you in middle of the tefilla (when you can’t speak out) whether your glasses are old or new, can you say “new”? How is that different than saying the same “new” (nu) to signify something?”
Because by “new” you are intending to say a word, and by “nu” you’re not.
One can have a whole non-verbal conversation through gesturing, pointing, mouthing, signing, etc….or can one?
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